Hulkenberg: I want to be back in race cockpit by 2012
26 Jan 2011

After being shelved by Williams at the end of the 2010 season in favour of Pastor Maldonado, Nico Hulkenberg will take on a new challenge in 2011 as Force Indias new reserve driver. And while he's energized about his new role at the ambitious midfielder, Hulkenberg is determined he will do enough to secure a race seat at the team in 2012.

I feel excited about my new home in F1, he said. I am looking forward to working here and of course I am especially looking forward to driving the car for the first time. The team have made a huge leap forward within the last few years and I want to be a part of the next step.

Of course I'd rather be a race driver, but the most important thing is that I am going to stay within the F1 circus. Every driver wants to compete in races - that is what we are all driving for. But my motivation is to convince the team of my skills in order to be back in a race cockpit in 2012.

After spending a year competing alongside - and learning from - veteran racer Rubens Barrichello at Williams, Hulkenberg believes he will bring huge amounts of expertise to Force India, as they target bettering their seventh-place finish in the 2010 constructors standings.

Last year was very important for me, he added. I could gain lots of experience and had a good team mate. I learned a lot from him on how to help developing a car in the right direction. I'm bringing a high level of motivation and will give my very best to be helpful for the team.

Hulkenberg, whose standout 2010 performance saw him score pole at the Brazilian Grand Prix, has already visited the teams Silverstone base for a seat fitting. The young German expects to be back at the factory in the coming days before undertaking a few days of pre-season testing.

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